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The year 2025 marks a significant milestone in the history of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which celebrates twenty-five years since its establishment in 2000. As we commemorate a quarter century of this alliance, the world must pause to analyze not only the figures or the multimillion-dollar investments—which will reach 360 billion yuan, equivalent to about 50 billion US dollars for the 2025-2027 period—but the true human heartbeat that pulses through this bridge uniting continents and cultures.
Since its inception, FOCAC was not a mere diplomatic platform: it has been and continues to be a bold experiment in South-South cooperation that challenges the traditional logic of development, with Africa and China taking a leading role in shaping their destiny. Beyond commercial exchange or infrastructure creation, the greatest legacy of these 25 years is undoubtedly the formation of human capital; the transfer of knowledge that, in essence, prepares a unique African generation capable of governing, innovating, and transforming their continent from within.
To understand the magnitude of this achievement, it suffices to note that for the past five years China has welcomed more than 250 African students in postgraduate programs in natural and social sciences. These young people, coming from more than 53 African countries, mostly cover strategic areas such as public administration, rural economy for agricultural modernization, public health, environmental management, renewable energies, digital technologies, international law, and public diplomacy.
Living examples of this cooperation include Mali, Tanzania, Senegal, and Equatorial Guinea, among others, where professional training is accompanied by the creation of agricultural technology centers and projects ranging from installing satellite television in remote villages to expand access to education, to implementing advanced technologies to increase agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.
This story comes alive in voices such as Agripina Bindang Bayeme Mangue from Equatorial Guinea, who recounts how her cultural and academic immersion in China helped her understand new ways of learning and adapt to a country that opens its doors warmly and solidly to African youth. An Egyptian student summarizes the shared hope: “Only by studying in China can we aspire to a better future.”
In August 2024, in a gesture symbolizing the intensity of this alliance, 63 African scholars from 50 countries sent a letter to President Xi Jinping, highlighting the value of this educational and cultural relationship. Xi’s official response, issued in 2025, emphasized that “learning the Chinese language and cultural exchanges are fundamental pillars for friendship and cooperation between peoples” and underlined that “human capital formation is the foundation for Africa’s modernization and sustainable development.”
The profound human meaning of these words translates into a long-term commitment: if one considers the multimillion-yuan investment for this period—which will reach 360 billion yuan, including 210 billion in credits and 80 billion in direct assistance—it is clear that cooperation is not circumstantial but strategic and structural.
The “Beijing Action Plan 2025-2027” identifies ten key areas that will shape the next stage of this alliance. These include:
1. Civilizational and academic exchange, aiming to train a thousand African politicians and establish 25 joint research centers (knowledge creation and transfer).
2. Commercial prosperity, promoting tariff exemptions for all 100 tariff lines of less developed countries and advancing e-commerce projects.
3. Industrial chain cooperation, supporting local development of value chains and boosting more industrial parks.
4. Connectivity, designing 30 infrastructure projects to improve integration and regional flow.
5. Development cooperation, with over 1,000 “small but significant” projects to improve quality of life.
6. Health, sending 2,000 medical professionals and projects to combat malaria and strengthen hospitals.
7. Agricultural development, with technical training, technological innovation, and promotion of food security.
8. Security cooperation, preparing thousands of African military personnel in China and supporting joint programs.
9. Science, technology, and innovation, with funding for research and development projects and specialized training.
10. Environmental protection and sustainable development, with initiatives for smart cities and climate change mitigation.
These axes require not only economic investments but political and human will. They concretize a philosophy Xi Jinping stressed as necessary: “To promote national modernization, the particular conditions of each country must be respected and a unique path must be built guaranteeing equitable rights and opportunities for all” (FMPRC, 2024).
Similarly, African leaders such as Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania, have emphasized that “training professionals with international experience is indispensable for autonomy and progress,” deeply valuing China’s support in youth training (FMPRC, 2024).
However, this story also takes place in a complex international landscape where tensions, resistances, and challenges of global cooperation demand ethical vigilance and mutual commitment. China and Africa, through FOCAC, chart a path of reciprocal respect and horizontal dialogue, standing as an alternative and hopeful proposal against traditional models of dependency.
In conclusion, the 25 years of FOCAC have sown visible and profound results: young Africans return with new skills, joint projects transform territories, and a fruitful intercultural dialogue revalues identities and capacities. Education emerges as the soul of this alliance, the silent force allowing both continents to walk together toward a shared future of dignity, modernity, and justice.
References
Capital Ethiopia. (2025). FOCAC 2025: China and Africa deepen ties with new tariff-free trade investment and solidarity initiatives.
Chinese Scholarship Council. (2024). Scholarships for African students in China 2025.
Defensa.gob.es. (2025). IEEE. FOCAC and the New Chinese Multilateralism.
FMPRC. (2024). Opening speech by the Chinese president at FOCAC 2024.
FMPRC. (2025). The Reception for the 25th Anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
People Daily. (2018). Foreign students study in China for a better future.
Tourism and Society TT. (2025). Xi Jinping responds to letter from African scholars.
Wikipedia. (2017). Belt and Road Initiative.
Xinhua Español. (2017). Scientific cooperation between China and Africa reaches a new level.
Xinhua Español. (2018). African youth: Many opportunities in China.
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